An intact ecosystem, and much more: amidst the beech and birch groves, up to the barren peaks, the striking presence of rhododendrons an hydrangeas becomes the symbol of a virtuous balance between man and landscape.
Like the Parco Burcina reserve in the same province, the Oasi Zegna complex descends from the vision of an industrialist, Ermenegildo Zegna, who, back in the 1930s, developed a large-scale project to enhance and protect the area north-east of Biella, to “bring life to the mountain above Trivero”. This project translated into the protected area of Oasi Zegna, established in 1993 and covering an area of 100 square kilometres. Along the panoramic road (which reaches an altitude of 1,500 metres in Bielmonte), with the inclusion of imposing groups of conifers, rhododendrons and hydrangeas, the mountain transformes into a new landscape. The area today is a free access “open-air workshop” offering local and international visitors informative and emotional experiences as part of a tourist offer defined by a specificallyfounded consortium. The natural park comprises three main areas: the “Via dei rododendri”, in the form of a garden not far from the Lanificio Zegna (Zegna Wool Mill), the elevated “Via delle Bocchette” where the Bielmonte tourist facility is located, and the lower “Via della Sienite” facing the Cervo torrent, with geological features, alpine vegetation and settlements bearing witness to traditional aspects of mountain living. The Zegna Oasis offers a wide range of tourist and recreational opportunities and open-air events.
Highlights
Conca dei Rododendri (Rhododendron Bowl)
A landscape project initiated in the 1960s by Pietro Porcinai and recently expanded by Paolo Pejrone, who defines it as “one of nature’s great shows”.
Santuario di San Bernardo
Reached by a pathway, from this sanctuary at an altitude of 1,400 m visitors can enjoy an all-round view of the Ligurian Apennines, the Alps and the Po plain.
Forest of Smiles
A bioenergetically designed forest, based on the influx that each tree typology (larch, fir, birch, beech) has on the human physical and psychological system.
Alta Valsessera
The wildest part of Oasi Zegna, inhabited by deer and roe deer, suitable for trekking trails. The Piana del Ponte refuge serves polenta and other typical dishes.
Casa Zegna
Inside the Lanificio Zegna in Trivero, a 1930s building that was once the Zegnas’ family home has become the seat of a new concept of archive-museum: an extraordinary synthesis of history and experiences, as well as a multi-purpose space always active, open to new ideas, and where tradition and transformation harmoniously blend.